City searches for relief on environmental mandate

Water and sewer customers face monthly $3.25 fee

11:32 PM,
Mar. 21, 2013

Murfreesboro Water and Sewer Director Darren Gore. Robert Haley, storm water coordinator, and Paul Barber, residential inspector, stand Thursday in front of a water quality pond on the east side of Molloy Lane in Murfreesboro. Storm water from nearby industrial properites is channeled to this pond where much of the sediment and oils are captured or float to the bottom so the water reaches the nearby Stones River cleaner.

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City Councilman Shane McFarland called for establishing financial guidelines in the city's stormwater fund Thursday that may lead to a lower fee on water and sewer customers.

To meet federal and state water quality mandates, the city's 30,000 customers face a monthly fee of $3.25 per house to pay for projects that would improve neighborhood drainage and prevent pollution from reaching streams, creeks and the Stones River.

The fund will reach $6 million to $6.4 million by June, and the city proposes spending $11.4 million on projects through fiscal year 2018, Murfreesboro Water and Sewer ...